Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadsky was a Ukrainian public and political leader, military man, wore the title of duke by the right of birth. He came from the high-rank of Skoropadsky Cossack family. Officer of the Russian Empire army.

Hetman of the Ukrainian State (29 April 1918–14 December 1918). One of the leaders and ideologists of monarchic hetmanate movement.

In 1886, Pavlo entered the Page Corps in St. Petersburg and graduated from it in 1893.

On January 22, 1917, he assumed command of the 34th Army Corps stationed in the territory of Ukraine.

On October 16–17, 1917, he was elected the otaman of the Free Cossacks by the delegates of five Ukrainian provinces and Kuban who gathered at the Congress of the Free Cossacks in Chyhyryn.

In mid-March 1918, Pavlo Skoropadsky established a political organisation that was opposed to the Rada.

On April 29, 1918, the All-Ukrainian Farmer Congress in Kyiv unanimously urged to proclaim Pavlo Skoropadsky Hetman of Ukraine.

In September 1918, after successful negotiations with Kaiser Wilhelm II, Ukraine gained more freedom to act in its foreign policy.

On April 29, 1918, Hetman revoked the Central Rada’s laws on confiscation of large estates.

In July-August 1918, a wave of anti-hetman strike action rises.

On November 14, 1918, he issued the Manifest to Ukrainian people that actually eliminated the idea of building up independent Ukraine as opposed to the expansion of All-Russian Federation.

On December 14, 1918, the Directorate’s troops occupied the capital of the Ukrainian State, while Skoropadsky was forced to resign his hetman title and flee from Kyiv.

During 1938–1941, Skoropadsky tried to draw together all Ukrainian forces in diaspora.

Skoropadsky always defended the interests of Ukrainians against official circles of the Reich and public. Thus, for instance, hetman made a stand for independence of Carpatho-Ukraine when it was occupied by Hungarian troops in 1939. Due to Pavlo Skoropadsky’s actions, such people as Stepan Bandera, Andrii Melnyk, Yaroslav Stetsko, A. Levytskyi and others were freed from German concentration camps.

The changes introduced into Ukrainian army during Skoropadsky’s time included shoulder straps and military ranks, approval of text of the solemn oath of loyalty to the Hetman, prohibition of political activities in the army, ensured shifting to the following officer training scheme: Cadet corps — General Cossack military school — General Staff Academy.

National Ukrainian libraries were opened.

Pavlo Skoropadsky was married to Russian noblewoman Aleksandra Durnovo, Duchess Kochubey by birth. The Skoropadsky couple had six children.

He was fatally wounded at the end of the war, on April 16, 1945, during British-American air forces bombardment of the station of Plattling near Munich, Bavaria.